The Worldly - A World Culture Web Magazine and 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

“Isn’t Bend it Like Beckham some kind of family feel-good flick?” you sneer. Not quite. So many feel-good movies today miss the mark, reverting to laughable caricatures of mothers who spend their days perfecting apple pies, and soft-spoken sons who dream of winning the little league championships. Usually these films are produced by Disney. They go straight to video, occupying the space on the shelf between Airbud and Angels in the Outfield.

Bend it Like Beckham, however, is produced by Fox Searchlight, and it does not concern either the all-American pastimes of baseball or basketball. In fact, Bend it Like Beckham is a British film about “football” (We Americans know the sport as soccer). It’s the comically compelling story of Jess Bhamra, a tomboyish Punjabi girl who dreams of one day being able to “bend a ball like Beckham.” Jess’s traditional Indian family wants her to get married and ditch the soccer dreams, but Jess is determined to play.

When Jules Paxton, a member of the local girls’ soccer team sees Jess kicking a ball around in the park, she convinces her to join the team. Both girls admire Joe (played by pretty-boy Jonathan Rhys-Meyer), who is both the team coach and Jess’s potential romantic interest. As Jess’s older sister prepares for her wedding, however, Jess must contend with her feelings for Joe as well as growing tension with Jules, who has become her best friend. On top of this, she must continue to devise ways of hiding her soccer obsession from her parents. As misunderstandings are brought to light, and old ideas are cast off, the story unfolds in a way that is both touching and hilarious.

Bend it Like Beckham is a must-see for anyone who has ever participated in sports, but whether or not you give a dime about athletics, this movie is worth paying nine bucks for. Not only does it deliver steady laughs, but it also provides a wonderfully authentic portrait of the family squabbles and parent/child misunderstandings that occur in all cultures (think of a more hip version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding). If you haven’t seen Bend it Like Beckham, it is available in theaters or on Kazaa.